Viet Duc University Hospital saves the life of a boy in critical condition after being bitten by a dog

31/08/2023 10:06

On May 4^th, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha, Head of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Department, Viet Duc University Hospital (VDUH), said that doctors had just operated on for a 12-year-old boy who was bitten by a dog, avulsing both of his ears and nearly all of his scalp, presented to emergency department in a very critical condition.

The patient is N.V.Th. (12-year-old, residing in Tho Loc, Tho Xuan, Thanh Hoa) was bitten by a pet dog resulting in very serious injuries and had to be hospitalized at Tho Xuan District General Hospital on April 29^th. Immediately after admission, the doctors and nurses gave first aid to the child, then transferred him to Thanh Hoa Children’s Hospital as soon as possible for further treatment for his various grave injuries.

Doctors said that almost all of Th.’s scalp was avulsed, he lost two ears and suffered many wounds all over his body. After receiving the patient, doctors and nurses at Thanh Hoa Children’s Hospital had to order emergency blood transfusions to preserve his life. On the night of April 29^th, the hospital transferred him to VDUH (Hanoi) to manage his injuries.

Talking to the press at noon on May 4^th, Assoc. Prof, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha said, 4 days after emergency surgery, the child’s health is progressing well. Currently, doctors are closely monitoring the condition of the patient’s skull and abdomen. At the same time, medical staff continued to administer wound care, order strong antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, evaluate the skin grafts covering the exposed skull. Meanwhile developing future plans to reconstruct the scalp and outer ears.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha warned: in cases where dog attacks directly hit large blood vessels causing massive blood loss and imminent death, responders must apply immediate pressure bandage to stop bleeding and bring the victim to the nearest medical facility that can administer blood transfusion fluid resuscitation. If the bite hit the airway, it is necessary to quickly perform emergency intubation or tracheostomy before transferring the patient to the hospital, because if the bleeding is not stopped and the patient cannot breathe due to blood pouring into the airway, the patient will die before reaching the emergency medical facility. In addition, any severed body parts, whether intact or crushed, must be recovered, preserved and brought to the hospital along with the injured patient so as to ensure maximum chances for successful replantation.